Do I Really Need A Second-Shooter?

DO I REALLY NEED A SECOND SHOOTER?

So, this is a big one.
When it comes to weddings, it can be challenging to determine how much to budget for each item & each vendor. There are lots of calculators and online tools out there that will help you determine what percentage of your wedding budget you should allocate to each item. However, I’m here to tell you that you should splurge on your photographer and make sure they bring a second-shooter along with them.

Let me explain why.
Sure, I can shoot your wedding by myself. And if you are having a small, intimate wedding, I may even suggest it! I find myself shooting 1 or 2 of these weddings, that truly fall into this category, a year. However, as a general rule, most of my brides & grooms need 8-10 hours of coverage in order for me to provide them with a complete picture of their day & having a second-shooter is a must.

So, what does a second-shooter do that makes them so vital?
I am so blessed that my normal second-shooter is my little sister, Ellen. She’s amazing – seriously. Her day starts off with the guys – we always joke that because she’s single, she does much better hanging out & connecting with them than I do [as a married woman!]. She captures them chilling out, watching football, having a few beers, putting on their ties & boutonnieres, all while I’m with the bride capturing all the details of her getting ready. We transition to the ceremony, where she’s typically in the back, capturing those last few moments before a bride walks down the aisle. I’ll be up in the front, capturing those nervous few moments as the groom waits for his bride. We capture the ceremony at two different angles – the groom’s face, the bride’s face. My second-shooter then becomes my “family-wrangler” – she’s the keeper of the family formal list and makes sure that we don’t miss anything! Through the reception, she’s always capturing a different angle, and sometimes, it’s the better one! She always has my back, so [knock-on-wood] if anything ever happens to my camera, she’s right there and can step in and make sure the moment is captured.

It’s one thing to try to explain all of this though with words though – how about some visual proof on how awesome & vital a second-shooter can be?

The following images are from Megan & Anwar’s wedding that Ellen & I shot a few weeks ago. Let me show you exactly what I was shooting & what she was shooting, almost at the exact same time!

While I’m shooting bridal details, Ellen was shooting some groom details [my photo on the top, her’s on the bottom]:

And while Megan was looking to get into her dress, Ellen was capturing Anwar helping out his “ring security” guy:

Remember how I said we are at opposite ends of the ceremony? Here’s what I was seeing at the front of the aisle, and Ellen was capturing at the back:

Sometimes on wedding days, things happen that are completely out of my control. And this is a perfect example: when Megan & Anwar went to exchange rings, the priests, for some reason, stepped right in front of them – causing them to block my entire view! Thankfully, Ellen was standing off to the side & was able to capture this awesome moment of Megan trying to get Anwar’s ring on his finger!
[My image is on the left, Ellen’s is on the right]

I love how Ellen captures the little details – like how you can clearly see Copper’s yellow & grey bowtie! And how she snagged an image that is really all about him!

And this! One of my favorite moments of their whole day – My shot is on the left, Ellen’s on the right.

So, while we shoot bridal party portraits, Ellen is generally shooting with the opposite lens that I am – looking to capture those fun little moments that I can’t see with a wider angle – like Anwar sticking his tongue out below!

And as fun as it is to see the whole wedding party cheering, I love how Ellen’s shot, on the right, really tells the story of the “ring security” guy’s reaction to the kiss!

Another little moment, my shot on the top, Ellen’s on the bottom:

And again – we simply could not get enough of this little “ring security” guy! My shot on the top, Ellen’s on the bottom:

You might think, okay, I see how you can get different shots with large groups of people – but what about when it’s just the bride & groom? While I was envisioning a darker, silhouette look, Ellen was shooting close & bright:

Again – details! I love Ellen’s shot on the right that emphasizes Anwar’s boutonniere and Megan’s rings!

This is one of my favorite ways to utilize my second shooter – while I was looking for the quiet moment of Megan resting on Anwar, I had Anwar look right at Ellen – two completely different shots at almost the exact same moment:

This as to be one of my favorite examples of the whole day! When Anwar spontaneously dipped Megan for a kiss, I did not have the best angle – but I knew that Ellen did. So, instead of having to ask them to re-create a spontaneous and natural moment, we were able to simply move on. The result – one of my absolute favorite images from the day – and Ellen ended up taking it! Nothing wrong with me or my shot – Ellen simply had the better angle.
[My shot is on the left, Ellen’s on the right]

It’s all a matter of placement! In the above images, Ellen had the better shot. However, below, I think I had the better shot because I had the better angle. Megan & Anwar were all about the dip & I loved it!
[My shot on the left, Ellen’s on the right]

So, while we were shooting the special dances – I looked back over my shoulder to see Megan’s Mom not able to hold back tears. So, at the same moment as Ellen was snatching this shot of Megan tearing up, dancing with her Dad, I was able to grab this quick shot of her Mom watching the whole thing.

Two different angles of the bouquet toss – one isn’t necessarily better than the other – just different! Each tells a different story – mine on the top, Ellen’s on the bottom.

I could go on and on – but here’s one last example: mine on the left, Ellen’s on the right.

So, hopefully that gives a little bit of visual proof on how valuable a second-shooter can be! Not only do they have your main shooter’s back, but they can end up having the better angle & helping to make sure that no matter what, you get the best images & memories from your wedding day.